Almost exactly two years after his arrest in Zurich at the request of the US Justice Department, Roman Polanski is due back in the Swiss city on 27 September to receive the lifetime achievement award he was unable to accept in 2009 after the intervention of the authorities, according to a report by Variety.

Polanski, 78, is still a wanted man in the US, after pleading guilty in 1977 to a charge of unlawful sex with a minor and then fleeing the country before sentencing. He was arrested at Zurich airport by Swiss police as he was on his way to the Zurich film festival to be presented with the award. Polanski was subsequently put under house arrest in Switzerland while the case was argued, and was released by the Swiss authorties in July 2010 after his extradition was refused.

The Zurich film festival issued a statement from its directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht: "We are especially proud to welcome Roman Polanski this year to receive his award. We have always been tremendous admirers of his work, and we are delighted that we will soon be able to express this to him in person."

Since his detention, Polanski has completed his new film, Carnage, which premiered to admiring reviews at the Venice film festival a fortnight ago.